Utility vehicles (“UVs”) and all terrain vehicles (“ATVs”) are well known for travel over a wide variety of terrains, including over unpaved trails or fields, rocks, etc. Such vehicles are widely used in agriculture and forestry operations, as well as in safety operations such as for rugged mountain crossings. Such vehicles are also widely used for recreational enjoyment in natural, outdoor settings away from pavement. In general, such UVs and ATVs have a lower price point and are considerably smaller and simpler than on-road vehicles such as passenger automobiles and trucks. In particular, such UVs and ATVs have no body control module (“BCM”) or other highly capable micro-processor based control unit responsible for monitoring and controlling a wide array of electronic parts in the vehicle's body.
The use of daytime running lights (“DRLs”) is well known in passenger automobiles and trucks, usually operated using the vehicle's headlamps under the control by the BCM. (Typically in passenger automobiles and trucks the BCM also controls the power windows, power mirrors, air conditioning, immobilizer system, central locking, etc., all of which are absent on UVs and ATVs.) The purpose of DRLs is not for lighting the road in front of the vehicle being driven, but rather for a safety purpose of making the vehicle being driven more noticeable to other drivers. DRLs in on-road vehicles are widely believed to effectively reduce traffic accidents. Research statistics suggest that the use of DRLs in on-road vehicles can reduce traffic accidents by 12.4% and can reduce traffic deaths by 26.4%. Examples of DRLs in on-road vehicles are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,686,423, 5,646,485, 7,613,327 and 9,227,556, incorporated by reference. Energy consumption of DRLs in on-road vehicles (which have a significantly higher electrical footprint than UVs and ATVs, as well as more readily available fuel) is not often considered.
DRLs have not been as widely adopted in UVs and ATVs, in part because UVs and ATVs are driven in locations (trails and fields) where interaction and avoidance of other vehicles is much less frequent, and in part because there is no BCM to control the DRLs. With the lower frequency of benefit, the energy consumption of the DRLs comes at a relatively higher price to the operation and cost of the UV or ATV. Additionally, drivers of on-road vehicles stay predictably on paved surfaces, whereas the travel paths of UVs and ATVs are not as predictable, which introduces other considerations to the operation of DRLs. Better solutions are needed, and particularly DRL strategies that are customized and focused on UVs and ATVs.